Scott Thielman to Lead Product Development at OpZira

OpZira Inc. has welcomed a new executive team member, having hired Scott Thielman, Ph.D., as vice president of Product Development.

Dr. Thielman has a unique connection to OpZira’s origins. As chief technology officer of Product Creation Studio, he directed the development of LumiThera’s Valeda Light Delivery System—a photobiomodulation therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration whose acquisition by Alcon led to OpZira’s creation. His involvement with Valeda gives him firsthand knowledge of the science, clinical vision, and engineering decisions that shaped the technology platform from which OpZira was born.

“We are very pleased with Dr. Scott Thielman joining our team as we move our new diagnostic products to the market,” OpZira President/CEO Clark E. Tedford, Ph.D., said. “His knowledge of medical device design and development is vast, and his role in the AI field as a professor at the University of Washington is perfect for the quantitative data products that we are creating, which aid doctors in early diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring in the emerging field of degenerative eye disease.”

For more than 25 years, Dr. Thielman has directed the development of dozens of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared medical devices across ophthalmology, neurostimulation, dermatology, urology, and surgical instrumentation, with partners including Olympus, Advanced Bionics, and Verathon. He is a named inventor on 15 issued patents and a licensed professional engineer in Washington (state). Dr. Thielman is also an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington Bothell, where he teaches a course on artificial intelligence (AI) in product development. He earned his Ph.D., master of science, and bachelor of science degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington.

In his new role at OpZira, Dr. Thielman will oversee product development strategy, new product design and engineering, and the continued advancement of the company’s diagnostic technology portfolio, including the AdaptDx Pro wearable dark adaptometer and the Diopsys ERG/VEP system.

“OpZira’s diagnostic platforms arrive at a critical moment—as new treatments for degenerative eye disease reach patients, the need for objective tools to detect and monitor disease has never been greater,” Dr. Thielman stated. “I’m excited to join an experienced management team and help create new products to lead the field of ophthalmology.”

OpZira Inc. is an ophthalmic medical device company that delivers technologies designed to enhance ocular disease detection and monitoring, empowering clinicians with advanced diagnostic tools. The firm is based in Middletown, Pa.